Pharis Romero

Songwriter Pharis [Romero] is a B.C. historical treasure.
- B.C. Folklore Society

A festival favourite since she was four years old, Pharis Hope Romero is a musician and performer, a collaborative character - more than anything, she loves playing with other people. She is a seasoned stage personality, a noted songwriter, and a respected member of the B.C. music community.

Deep in the Cariboo interior of B.C., in her hometown of Horsefly, she found both classical and old country mentors. She grew up singing Italian arias, German operettas, and French folk art songs, while at the same time performing with her family’s country band, The Patenaude Family. She went on as a founding member of western Canadian roots favourites, Outlaw Social (Best Roots/Folk Recording 2008 nominee (Western Canadian Music Awards) - a band noted as "one of the most exciting roots-based bands to emerge on the West Coast scene in recent years" (Penguin Eggs). Pharis’ vocal interpretation, harmony and songwriting have lead her to perform with a great variety of musicians and productions, most recently with her husband, noted banjo maker/player Jason Romero, and Erynn Marshall, highly respected old time fiddler, in The Haints Old Time Stringband.

She is a prolific songwriter, influenced by early roots and country music, but looking to British Columbia and Canada incidents, accidents and issues. Songs about daily living – work, divorce, drug addiction, love and death – based on an upbringing in a small resource-based community have followed in her songwriter father’s footsteps. Described by the B.C. Folklore Society as a “B.C. historical treasure”, in particular for her song “The Mill”, a song also noted as an “instant classic” by Vancouver Co-op Radio, her singing and songs have enjoyed regular radio play, including CBC nationally, NPR, and BBC Radio 2.

Pharis has performed and instructed at Canadian and US events and venues including the B.C. Bluegrass Workshop (BC), Fiddletunes (WA), Daniel Lapp’s House of Music (BC), Dusty Strings (WA), Winnipeg Folk Festival (MB), Vancouver Music Festival (BC), Vancouver Island MusicFest (BC), Calgary Folk Festival (AB), Edmonton Folk Festival (AB), and others. She currently directs The Old Time Vocal Choir just north of Victoria, and has a passion for teaching vocal skill and tradition that is widely enjoyed at her group vocal workshops.

Contact: pharis(at)thehaints.com | www.romerobanjos.com | (250) 929-7099